Sunday Dinnner Partners
by tateria
Summary: Anthology series of visits to Sunday Dinner by everyone's partners.
1. No Good Deed (Janko)

**AN1** -Welcome to the anthology series Sunday Dinner Partners. I've always had this head cannon that Danny and Jamie's partners always end up at a Sunday Dinner here and there through out their tours. Danny's partners talk about the Sunday Dinners, and Jackie seemed comfortable enough when she was there once. So the more I thought about this, the more I wished we could see these moments. So I present to you, Sunday Dinner Partners. These will not be connected, and outside of a few episode specific dinners, will be only loosely timed to a specific time period in a season. **New chapters posted on Sundays!**

 **AN2** \- This is set not long after Boogeyman (4.12)

 **AN3** \- Huge thanks to TerryJ ( u/391966/) for all the inspiration, support, and encouragement. If you haven't read "I've Got Your Back, You've Got Mine", you're missing out.

 **ETA** : Thanks to The Great Artiste for catching a pretty important error. Thanks! :)

* * *

 **Chapter One:** _No Good Deed..._

"...8080 Harbor ... View.. Eighty... Eigh.. Damn, Reagan. This better not be a hazing."

Eddie Janko pulled her car up to the curb in front of a massive red brick house, parking behind a green jeep. She was used to growing up surrounded by large houses, but since her father's fall, she hadn't spent much time around these kinds of places, and certainly wouldn't have thought that Jaime would be hanging out at such a house.

Reagan was SO going to owe her for this.

Next time she was just gonna make him suffer without a wallet if he dropped it crawling out of her car post beer and darts. Checking the address he had texted her again to make sure she was at the right place, Eddie sighed and got out of the car, wallet in hand. The air was cold and crisp on the January day, the sky clear and the sun felt great after the last few days of dark skies and slushy weather. Eddie almost regretted not putting her coat back on, but she was just going to be here for a few minutes, she reasoned.

Walking up the steps and down the walk quickly to the door, she paused before knocking, a quick cleansing breath that hung in the cold air in front of her, then quickly knocked on the wood door. A few seconds later an older man in a dark cardigan answered the door, a friendly but curious look on his face as he sized up the short blonde in front of him. "Hello, miss? Can we help you?"

Eddie stammered, trying to figure out what hell Reagan had tricked her into. "Ummm ... Yeah, is Reagan here? I'm dropping off something for him." Eddie wrapped her arms around her torso to ward off the chill of the air as she stood on the step in front of the house.

The kindly man laughed, a jovial tone to his voice as he replied, "Yeah, he's here. But which one, though?" Eddie stared at him for a second, the face of the man who was now waving her inside and away from the coldness while chuckling becoming somehow ...familiar. Where had she seen this face before, and why would Jamie Rea...

REAGAN.

Oh shit.

Correction, Jamie didn't owe her, Jamie was SO FREAKIN dead.

Finally turning the corner, Eddie felt the dread of what she was feeling was inevitable becoming real as she entered the living room where a football game was playing on the TV, the Reagan clan spread out in various groupings around the room, before she laid eyes on the PC, quickly coming to attention out of a mixture of surprise and training, a quick "Sir!" coming out. From the corner of her vision, she could see Danny Reagan smirking behind the beer he was drinking at the reaction while sitting next to a blonde on a love seat across the room from where Janko stood.

Raising a hand to indicate calming Eddie did not feel, the PC said, "At ease, please, Officer Janko." She had only seen the PC a few times, and those times he was either in his uniform for her graduation, or his dark suit and tie. To see him sitting casually on a couch in a tan cardigan, wearing glasses while nursing a beer seemed to make him more human, somehow. A feeling that made Eddie even more uncomfortable at being in his house.

Eddie looked around the room, all eyes on her as they waited for her to explain why she had stopped by, Eddie realized that Jamie was absent from the room. "I ...uh... Jamie dropped his wallet last night, he said I should drop it off here, sir."

The PC's mouth disappeared into his mustache as he nodded quickly. "Very nice of you, Officer Janko."

Elsewhere in the house, a timer went off.

The man who had answered the door, who she now realized was former PC Henry Reagan, turned to head off towards the sound. "Ah, that would be the roast! Dinner in twenty minutes!", he said while walking out of the room, an aroma of salivating food wafting in as the door opened and closed.

The woman who was sitting on the couch with the PC spoke next, a mischievous glint in her eyes as she spoke up. "Well, Officer Janko... "

"Eddie, please, ma'am."

The woman, who Eddie reasoned must be Jamie's older sister Erin, continued. "Ok, Eddie, since you're here now, you really must stay for dinner."

"Oh, I couldn't impose! I'm just ...you know... " Eddie lifted and pointed to the wallet in her hand as she shifted feet nervously.

"Nonsense," the reemerging Reagan patriarch said as he walked back in, carving knife and honing spear in hand. "It's a proud Reagan tradition to have our partners over for Sunday dinner!"

A door elsewhere opened and closed, and a pair of young boys came running into the living room, stopping when they saw the blanched blonde standing in the entrance. "Boys," a blond woman said as she stood up herself, "this is your Uncle Jamie's partner, Eddie Janko." Extending her own hand, the woman smiled at Eddie, "and I'm Linda, Danny's wife. It's great to finally meet you. Jamie has said a lot of nice things about you."

Eddie smiled, unsure what to say to that. "Well, he's been a great TO."

There was an awkward pause as they all waited for someone speak next, when Linda told the boys to wash up for dinner as Eddie could hear the same door open and shut again elsewhere in the house.

As Henry left to go back into the kitchen, he was passed by a young woman in her late teens with short hair, and was followed by, finally, the dead man himself, Jamie Reagan, who was looking more relaxed than she could ever remember him looking in a pair of nice jeans and a grey sweater.

"Janko! You got here sooner than I thought!" He placed the football that he had been carrying down on a couch as he approached her, taking his missing wallet back from her outstretched hand.

Erin spoke up quickly, "Yes, Jamie, we were all just agreeing that she should stay for dinner. Don't you agree?"

Jamie's ears turned slightly red at this news, and he turned to his family. "Well, I'm sure Eddie has ...plans. She was just dropping by to drop off my wal.."

"No can do, kid," Danny interrupted with a toothy grin, "it's a proud family tradition to have our partners over, right Gramps?" the last bit shouted off to the kitchen, a muffled affirmation coming back. Danny turned back to Jamie, a wide grin on his face.

"Jack, could you go set another place at the table for Eddie?" Linda said to the oldest boy, who had just came back into the living room. Jack sighed and left to go do as asked.

Eddie again deferred, pointing to the door and freedom from dinner with the PC, "Really guys, I couldn't impose. Thank you, thought, really.." She looked to the PC, hoping for a lifeline or a release, but he just shrugged.

"Officer Janko.. Eddie, I've found that when they set their minds to it, you're facing the most persistent group of people in the world." He stood up, and made an ushering movement towards what Eddie assumed was the dining room. "Besides," the PC continued, seeming taller than the first time Eddie had met him, "There is always a place at the table for any partner of my kids."

Eddie sighed, resigned to her fate, as the rest of the Reagan clan moved towards the direction the PC had indicated. She turned to Jamie, stabbing a finger into his chest as hard as she could while whisper shouting at him "You're a DEAD MAN, Jamie Reagan."

"How was I supposed to know you'd be here so fast! It's like a thirty minute drive from your place!"

Eddie scoffed as she walked in the direction the rest of the Reagans had headed. "Only if you drive like my Aunt Ethel, which you SO do!" she exclaimed as walked away from Jamie towards the dining room.

Entering the dining room, Eddie hesitantly took the chair she assumed was meant for her, between Jamie and Nicky. The chairs closest to the PC were open, as was the chair to her left at the end of the table. She decided to go with her assumption, preferring to make someone sit somewhere else than be stuck next to the PC.

As if being at the same table wasn't going to be uncomfortable enough.

Stupid Jamie, and his stupid wallet.

The doors to the left of the room opened, and Eddie could see the kitchen beyond, quickly obscured by Erin, Linda, and Henry bringing the last of the food into the room. The room was quickly filled with delicious smells of roasted potatoes, candied carrots homemade Mac'N'Cheese, and the beef pot roast, which Henry had begun carving at his seat, placing slices on a white platter.

It was all familiar to Eddie, and also sadly foreign as well. Since her father had been arrested, the family relations had been strained, meaning that family dinners had stopped a few years ago for the Janko clan. With her sisters either married and out of state, or in school, they just didn't get together much.

And yet, here she was, a criminal's daughter sitting to dinner with the top cop in the city. Certainly not what she had thought when she had started her day. For starters, if she knew she would end up at the PC's house she'd have worn something other than her ratty NYPD tee.

As the food began to be passed around, there was some talk about the continuing fallout from the recent Boogeyman crisis, which was still taking a lot of the city services time and efforts to deal with the last of the victims. Danny talked broadly about his take down of the distributors, and there was some talk about the news rumor that had gone around about a buy back program for the dangerous product. Eddie took her food, trying not to take too large of a portion, lest the PCs memory of her was for over eating. Hopefully she could get through the meal with the minimal amount of personal embarrassment possible.

"So Janko, is the kid teaching you anything useful, or just what the patrol guide says?" Danny had managed to wait until most of the food had been passed around before he started into Jamie. Danny chewed on his slice of beef as he grinned at Jamie across the table.

Eddie, however, paused like a deer in the headlights, not realizing she was simply a pawn in this round of the Reagan boys squabble. Sitting between Jamie and Nicky, she felt the eyes of not one but two Commissioners eyeing her, she moved her roasted potatoes on her plate as she considered her response.

Finally looking back at her, Danny smirked at her. "Easy, Janko. I'm just hassling my kid brother."

"Actually, Eddie has been a a great rookie, Danny. Renuzulli says she had better marks from the academy that you did." Jamie shot back, smirking back at Danny.

"That can't be hard, they were pretty low." Erin chimed him.

"Ha ha, sis." Danny replied to her, making Eddie crack a smile finally.

"Officer Janko," Nicky started.

"Eddie, please."

"Ok, Eddie. How hard is it to be a female officer?"

Eddie again paused for a second, trying to figure out is she was going to escape this meal without an ulcer, or at least hope for a softball question along the way.

"I've actually not had any problems so far, Nicky. Some guys give you some grief, but they do that to all rookies." Eddie took a bite of the beef, glad for an excuse to not be expected to speak for a second.

Erin nodded, joining in. "It's not always easy to see who is going to give you a hard time right away. Sometimes it's the ones you don't see coming that hit the hardest." Leaning forward, Erin made eye contact with Eddie. "Sometimes even cops have to deal with the same dangers any other woman has to. I can only imagine that it takes a lot of courage for them to step forward and get justice. Some women would be afraid that they'd not be taken serious if they got attacked."

"Any cop that doesn't support a fellow cop isn't a real cop, Nicky." Henry chimed in, oblivious to the subtle nod Eddie gave to Erin.

Jamie shifted in his seat, obviously wanting to change the subject for Eddie, before interjecting "Yeah, well I'd feel sorry for the poor guy who tries to give Janko a hard time. Only thing scarier than her appetite is that temper."

Eddie glared at Jamie, earning snickers from around the table. "Oh yeah? What's wrong with my appetite?" Which she followed up by taking a potato from Jamie's plate.

"Nothing, as long as they keep you out of all you can eat joints. We've gotten kicked out of three bars now for abusing the privilege!"

Eddie defended herself quickly, "That was one time!" She washed down the bite of food still in her mouth before finishing. "And come on, Reagan, the sign said 'ALL YOU CAN EAT', not three small servings!"

"Wait, that was you two at Bobbies?" Danny asked

The partners looked at each other for a second, before mutually shrugging and nodding.

Jamie nodded at Danny, "How'd you hear about that?"

"Well, Jamie," Danny leaned in, grinning at the opportunity to really tease his kid brother. "Bobby happens to be an old Sarge at the 5-4. He comes in sometimes with some flyers and some stories." Danny looks around the table, pausing for the effect. "Said he had to kick out this yuppie couple who couldn't stop making moon eyes at each other except when ordering ribs over and over."

"Yuppies?" "Moon eyes?" Eddie and Jamie responded simultaneously.

Jamie turned to look at Eddie. "I told you he looked familiar."

Danny watched the pair stumble over each other trying to back out of the conversation with a wide grin, looking between Linda and Henry very pleased with himself. "Anyways, he said that they eventually were encouraged to leave before he had to shut the place down."

Eddie attacked her plate, grumbled more to herself than the table, "The ribs weren't even that good." Unfortunately this earned her a few chuckles from both ends of the table.

"Officer Janko, is that your car out front?" Jack asked, taking advantage of the pause in table conversation.

"Yeah! My baby!" Eddie replied proudly.

"Does it go fast?"

Eddie leaned forward, hands to her side as she replied excitedly. "Oh my gosh! You get her out in the FDR on a Sunday and she really gets going ..." Suddenly, Eddie remembered the table she was sitting at, a twitch of a glance to her left giving her away, as she quickly finished her sentence. "...to the speed limit, where it remains the rest of the drive." A red faced guilty cough followed that as she suddenly found the mac'n'cheese on her plate interesting while the remaining adults at the table laughed.

"It's too bad you never got a chance to see Jamie's old car, right son?" Frank said, eyebrows raised mischievously.

"Yeah, too bad the kid totaled it", Danny jumped in to add.

Eddie looked at Jamie confusedly.

Jamie dipped his head, before looking at Danny. "For the last time, that wasn't my fault!"

Danny raised his hands defensively. "Just calling them like I see them."

"Jamie had Joe's old '71 Chevy Chevelle SS, amazing condition." Henry clarified for Eddie.

Eddie gasped, without thinking punching Jamie in the arm. "You totaled a 77 Chevelle?"

"It wasn't my fault! Someone cut the brake lines!" The family was laughing as Jamie flailed while Eddie stared him down.

"You know, now that I think about it," Frank added, a finger pointed at Henry as he spoke towards him, "I think the Chevelle got to the speed limit pretty quickly as well."

Henry laughed, picking up the direction from Frank, "Yeah, and I bet it went plenty past it as well." Frank replied with an expression of feigned ignorance on the subject.

"I still don't get why I never got to drive the Chevelle." Erin added to her father.

Frank leaned into his daughter, smiling to reply, "Well, we wanted it to come back in one piece." Laughter again followed as Erin rolled her eyes.

Eddie looked to Jamie, a examining glint in her eyes. "No wonder where you got the woman driver mentality."

"No, uh uh." Danny said, before Jamie could throw out whatever excuse he had, using his fork again as a poor mans pointer. "Erin is just a bad driver with a lead foot."

"I am not a bad driver!"

"Mom, you kind of are." Nicky replied, causing Erin's eyes to roll.

"I have a few minor driving incidents in my youth and you guys act like I'm ..."

"Mom, you just got a speeding ticket last week!" Nicky said loudly with laughter, before her mother glared at her. "...which I wasn't supposed to share, sorry."

Danny ignored the hand Linda put to his chest, jumping at this information with glee.

"Hold on, Erin has another ticket?! What's this now, ten?"

"Four!"

"Twelve," Frank corrected.

Erin glared at Frank, "What? No, four. One after I passed the bar, two a while back, and now this one!"

Frank nodded, his eyebrows coming together, face in a manner of deep thought. "Sure, except you're forgetting the other eight you got from 16 to 18. As I recall, you had to surrender your license for six months the summer before college."

Danny peaked at this, only held back by his sister's finger stopping him as she looked at her dad. "That was a total misunderstanding, and you know it."

Frank shrugged, mischievous expression on his face.

"Twelve tickets, Mom, really?!" Nicky gushed.

"Four tickets. Don't listen to them, they're mean liars." Erin glanced around the table while aggressively slicing at her plate.

Conversation shifted to Danny's case of the week, and Erin's failure to help him somehow. The roll of Jamie's eyes made it seem like this was a common occurrence for the pair. Finally Eddie was brought back into the conversation when Henry spoke up from the end of the table.

"So how'd you get to be Eddie?"

Eddie smiled, finally an easy question. "My name is Edit, but Eddie is just more 'me', I guess."

"Edit?" Jack questioned equally with his voice and the look on his face.

"Yeah, after my Grandmother from Serbia."

Erin leans forward, "So are you related to the Janko that went to jail a few years ago in that Ponzi scheme?"

All eyes fell on her as she paused mid sip of wine. "Yeah, ummm ...most people didn't follow that too much, thankfully."

Erin nodded as she cut her potatoes, "Yeah, my office was the lead prosecution on that case, although I wasn't part of the unit. But Janko is a name that stands out."

Jamie trying to help, again shifted subjects. "Nicky how's the college search going?"

Nicky rolls her eyes, taking a sip of her water before replying. "It'd be better, but we still are dividing colleges into party schools and 'good schools', which is so not fair."

Eddie sat still at her plate for a minute, feeling relief that she didn't have to have that conversation in front of the PC. Picking up her silverware, she resumed eating, risking a glance left towards the PC, who was looking down the table at her, hands clasped above the table, his eyes giving her a soft look that somehow took a load off the weight on her chest.

Danny, however, hadn't missed her omission. Glancing between Jamie and Eddie, he finally asked, cutting off Erin's retort about colleges. "Wait, you didn't say how you were related to this financial crook." He said conversationally while shaking a fork at her, his eyes squinted in a humorously questioning way. "Crazy uncle?"

"No," Eddie says as she goes to finish off her first serving of beef. "He's my Dad. Can you pass the roast?" She met his eyes, and for a second they stared at each other before he grabbed the platter and offered it to her, an accepting grin on his face.

Sean piped up excitedly at that. "Does that mean your Dad is in jail?"

"Sean!?" Linda rebuked from down the table.

"Yeah, he's at Fort Dix Correctional now, serving his sentence out, Sean."

"Wow. I'm sorry." The boy replied, his mother's rebuke causing him to be recalcitrant.

"Nah, don't be. He's where he belongs." Eddie said with more conviction than she felt. "I haven't seen him since he went away, it's just too hard. I really looked up to him, and he was a fraud." Eddie took a breath, looking down at her plate. "It was hard on all of us, losing our home and friends so quickly. " The table was quiet for a few moments until' Frank spoke up from the end of the table, making eye contact when Eddie looked up, his eyebrows knitted softly as his face took on a soft expression. "We don't get to choose our family, just what we do with our own lives."

Looking around the table, he continued. "I think most of the people at this table have dealt with their father's reputation hanging over them."

"Speak for yourselves," Jamie interrupted, "I've had to live in the shadow of Danny Reagan. I think I've gotten at least two RIPs just for being related to him."

Laughter spread through the table, and the conversation went elsewhere as Eddie wiped a tear from her eye, which fortunately no one caught except Jamie.

Which was okay because dead men tell no tales, Eddie reasoned.

* * *

Eddie was finally almost out the door an hour later when Henry Reagan cornered her with a plastic container with an array of leftovers.

"Here, didn't want you to go home empty handed." Eddie smiled, taking the container from him.

"Thank you, sir."

"I hope it wasn't too horrible an experience for you?" Henry asked, a playful grin on his face.

"No, it was nice. I haven't had a real family meal since ...well, in a while. Thank you for keeping me."

Henry leaned into Eddie, a finger pointing at her. "Listen, I know what it's like to have a disappointment from your father. Don't let that color how you do your job, and don't let anyone hold it over your head." He smiled softly, the easy smile of a practiced grandfather, as he finished. "You make sure you're judged for you, and the good work you do."

Eddie smiled to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill over. "Yes, sir. I will. Thank you."

"Ahh, well... Next time you're here we'll get you to drink some proper Irish whiskey, like a real cop!"

Eddie made a face at the thought, before shaking her head and smiling back at the Reagan patriarch. "No promises."

Jamie and Frank walked in as Eddie could hear some of the family back in the other parts of the house. Eddie fought the instinct to stand at attention, but the twitch brought a laugh to Jamie.

"Officer Janko, glad you could join us." Frank Reagan offered his large hand, which swallowed Eddie's smaller hand.

"Thank you, Sir. It was a pleasure."

With that Eddie and Jamie walked out to her car.

"Thanks again for bringing my wallet over. Sorry you got roped into dinner." Jamie said apologetically.

"Can it Reagan, you're not off the hook." Eddie smiled back at him as she hooked a thumb in her direction while opening her car door. "I'm picking lunch all this week, and you are so buying."


	2. The First Time He Said Trust Me(Baez)

**AN1** \- Set in mid to late Season 7

* * *

 **Chapter Two:** _"The first time Danny Reagan told me to trust him, I ended up in the East River..."_

"Pops says to check the ham, Lin." Danny Reagan says as she strolls into the kitchen, beer in hand. Linda, Erin and Nicky are finishing the last of the side dishes, and it's obvious to Danny that he walked into a conversation involving him. Scanning the women, all of whom are trying not to giggle, he narrows his eyes and stares down his wife.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, honey." Linda almost gets her response out with a straight face, but Erin starts to giggle again, and then Nicky cracks, leaving Linda's lips in a mixture of straight face and giggles.

Danny gets a little red in the face, his dander up at the idea of sister laughing at him.

"What?!" He asks again.

Seeing that Danny would only get more irrational until he finds out what was going on, Linda waves for him to come closer before half whispering conspiratorially, "We think Jack has a crush on Baez. He's gone to fix his hair four times since you said she was stopping by." Erin and Nicky start laughing again, while Danny is still trying to process this.

"Baez?"

"Yep."

"He has?"

"Mmmm hmmm"

Frank Reagan walks in, heading to the fridge to get another beer. "Is Jack ok?" Danny turns his body to face his father, allowing Linda and Erin to hide their faces behind his back.

"Yeah Dad, why?"

"He just went to the bathroom again?" Frank takes a sip of the fresh beer. "I think he's spending as much time in there your grandfather."

Erin, Linda, and Nicky devolve into a fit of laughter as Frank looks at them, eyebrows knit in confusion.

Stepping up to his father, Danny claps him on the back with a wide grin. "Yeah Dad, everything is perfectly normal." Sharing a humorous look with Linda, Danny leads Frank back to the living room. The men just are out of sight for the trio of Reagan women when the door bell rings. Linda lifts a finger in the air, then a second, when a voice bellows from across the house.

"I GOT IT!" Linda's oldest, Jack, shouts.

* * *

As the food dishes are finally being settled down and plates are being dug into, Linda starts the conversation off. "Maria, I'm so glad you came by. It's a shame you two are going to have to do this insane shift tonight."

"Linda, could we please?" Danny interjected before Linda could go on.

"I just think a 18 hour shift is too long, especially for a steak out."

"This isn't normal, Lin. It's a one time opportunity to shut down a major drug ring. Narcotics needed some real cops, and we have the training. Besides," Danny paused to give her a look, "the overtime is always good."

"Of course we have the training, Danny. You drug me into that training, remember?" Maria Baez says from the other end of the table, sitting between Jamie and Henry.

Danny raises his hands in personal absolution. "You coulda said no!"

"I did say no! Like fifteen times, Danny!"

"Yeah, but the sixteenth time you made the right choice!" Danny replies, making his point with his wide grin and butter knife.

"He used to work that magic with Mom as well, right Dad?" Erin said to her father sitting to her left.

Frank nodded "He tried it with you, as I recall. Didn't seem to work, though."

"How do you think I ended up a lawyer? Trying to tell Danny no for eighteen years." Erin replies, smirking at her older brother across the table.

"How come you can't use that magic to not get eighteen hour shifts, Danny?"

"Come on, Linda. This is going to be an easy shift. Trust me, ok?" Danny replied.

Linda rolled her eyes, "Oh great."

"What?" Danny asked, confused.

"What do you mean 'what?', Danny?" Maria asks. "There are no two more dangerous words than Danny Reagan saying 'trust me'."

Nicky leans forward, curious. "What do you mean, Detective Baez?"

"Let's just say, the first time he said 'trust me', I ended up in the East River and almost caught a three day RIP." Maria replies, to the amusement of the table, some more than others.

Henry perks as with renewed interest looking at Maria. "Wait, was this the business with what's his face, the construction guy?"

"Yeah, John Corker."

Frank begins to nod as well. "I remember hearing about that as well."

"Of course you did, it was a big topic of conversation throughout the month." Henry pantomimes the headline as he continues. "PCs newly promoted grandson nearly brought up on departmental charges. Only thing that saved Daniel's career was that he was right."

Erin looks on, confused. "Wait, when was this?"

"1997," Jamie replies. "You and Jack were still in college when this happened." Jamie looks at Danny, laughing. "I think that was the last time I saw Mom really, really angry at you, Danny."

"Well, not counting when I wouldn't tell her what gender Sean was." Danny replied.

"She was pretty upset about that." Jamie says, as Erin nods her head in agreement.

"Why wouldn't you tell Grandma I was a boy?" Sean asks.

"Because we hadn't told anyone yet, and your Mom wanted to tell everyone at Sunday Dinner." Danny said. "Your grandmother wouldn't have been able to keep it to herself, so we made her wait."

Erin was not to be sidetracked, however. "Wait, how is it I've never heard this story?"

Frank and Jamie trade glances, then look at Henry, and Linda. "I'm sure we have, haven't we?" Frank says

"No!" Erin and Nicky exclaimed.

"Yeah, we haven't heard that story either, Dad." Jack piped up, speaking for his brother who was nodding next to him.

"Ok, well first of all, don't let your Dad tell it, because he likes to leave out important details." Maria tells Jack, who nods back at her wordlessly.

"Hold on, I tell it just fine!"

"The incident at the port?"

"It's not necessary to the story, that's why I never mention it!" Danny replies, semi-shouting.

Maria offers her hand at Danny, looking around the table with a 'See what I mean?' look.

"Ok, fine," Danny says, holding his hands up in surrender. "You tell it. After you pass the potatos."

Jamie starts while passing the potatoes from Danny to Maria, "I remember this started with a Danny who knew everything having just got his gold shield."

Erin snorts to herself., "Like that has changed," earning a look from her brother.

Baez nods, looking to Jack and Sean. "Your father and I were assigned to a detective unit out of the 2-7, our shields were still shiny and new. I had just joined the day before the call, Danny had been there a week."

"...and already acting like he owned the place, from what his COs were saying." Henry added.

"...and already acting like he owned the place." Maria added, grinning at Danny.

"I was feeling my oats, what can I say." Danny says, smirking and serving himself a bit mor potatos. "Besides, I had more felony collars in my first month than any of the others in that squad."

"Yeah, yeah. Anyways, so we got called out on the victim on the lower east side construction site, where the Baxter Apartments are now."

"I just had a dead body there last month, actually." Jamie threw in.

"That facade is a murder to good taste, too." Henry added.

"Anyways, dead body..." Erin continued, Linda rolling her eyes.

"So we all get there," Maria continues, "and the lead detective was a old school pavement pounder First Grade named ...uhh... Johansen. He was nearly On mandatory retirement as it was, had no time for kids, baby detectives, or manners."

Henry grunted sadly beside Maria. "Felix and I rode on patrol in the 50's. He was never the same after his wife passed in '88. God rest her soul."

"Well by the time we got to him he was pretty damned burnt out, Gramps." Danny added.

Maria tilts her head in acknowledgement. "So Johansen tells the four of us to canvas the neighborhood, see if anyone saw anything. As Danny and I are heading out of the lot, he sees a pair of boot prints heading towards the body. He starts to follow them, giving a shout to Detective Johansen, who shrugs his shoulders and says it's a construction site, there's going to be a million boot prints."

"Of which there were not, mind you." Danny butts in to add.

"Of which there was not, yes." Maria pauses. "But instead of coming back to the prints after doing what we were told, Mr. 'I know what I'm doing' decides to see where they go." Maria sips her wine, before continuing. "Now I'm wanting to keep my job, so I try to tell him that we can come back to that; no dice." Maria stands up taller in her seat, a bad Danny Reagan impression in her voice. "Come on, Maria! This has got to mean something! Trust me!"

"That's actually a pretty good impression," Jamie compliments while smirking Danny's way.

"Yeah kid. You should hear Janko do her impression of you." Danny's barb at his brother for once actually caught him quiet, as Jamie picked at his plate. Were it not for Baez's continuing the story, Danny might have pounced on the odd reaction from his kid brother.

"So Danny says 'Let's just see where these lead, we can swing back real quick afterwards, still do the canvas.' I wanted to radio it in, but he didn't want Johnansen stopping us, so he talked me out of that. 'Just ten minutes, Maria!'"

Danny rolls his eyes, popping some ham in his mouth, while Linda runs her hand on Danny's arm soothingly.

"Twenty minutes later, we've followed these boot prints ten blocks. I don't even think I've ever again seen mud track that far."

"Well, that site was a mud pit. It'd been raining for days and days before that case." Danny added.

"So the trail ends in front of this abandoned building just north of the FDR. Now I'm begging him to call it in. But Mr. Logic says 'We can't call it in, we're not even supposed to be here. You don't want to get jammed up do you?'"

"The report I got said that there was a radio call made anyways." Henry adds.

"Well, yeah. We were too far out to not let someone know where we were. Of course, that's what ended up saving our lives."

"No no no, we had those guys under control before ESU arrived." Danny interrupted.

"How were they under control? You were out of ammo, and my weapon was at the bottom of the river!?"

Danny smirked. "That's a gross exaggeration of events." Danny leans forward, pointing his fork at himself. "Besides, after that I got you a nice back up piece, didn't I?"

Maria glared at him. "No, you bought me a Hi-Point."

"It was a nice backup piece!" Danny replied defensively.

Frank knotted his eyebrows, glaring at Danny. "You bought her a Hi-Point?"

"So?"

Frank and Henry shared a look as they shook their heads in mock disappointment.

"So anyways, Danny circles around back to check things out while I call in our location. While I'm mid-call, this ugly blue 80's model Oldsmobile 88 rolls up, and some dudes hop out. They're getting in my space asking me what I'm doing hanging out around their building. I flash my badge, and suddenly they're all pulling out their guns."

Erin looks at Danny expectantly. "Where were you?"

"I was out back, trying not to get stepped on by the biggest Mexican I've ever met." Danny exclaimed, knowing this question had been coming. "Jose 'El Roca' Salvador, who moved faster than Jack used to for Cocoa Puffs."

Frank perked up. "You met El Roca?"

"Well, he almost squashed me. We didn't quite trade pleasantries." Danny replied.

Frank had a giant smile at that image.

"So I'm out front of the building, five guys staring down their guns at me, and yeah, here comes Danny hauling butt out of that alley behind the guys. He tries to stop but instead runs into them as he turned the corner. Next thing I know there's a giant coming around the corner running just as fast as Danny had been, but couldn't stop as fast." Maria pantomimes knocking over as she goes on, "Takes out all six of them and myself. Danny managed to duck to the side in time that he got up, grabbed me and we started running east. I go to call in our situation, and find out that El Roca smashed my radio."

"Hold on, you're on your own, in the lower east side of the late 90's, and no radio?" Erin interrupts.

"Mmm hmmmm." Maria replys, looking at Danny. "So we get a few blocks east when we run into an old Lower East Port, which was undergoing demolition at the time, where Corlears is now. By the time we realize we've made a bad turn, the crew is right on us, El Roca and all. They start shooting, so we duck for cover and start returning fire."

Henry starts laughing, knowing the next part of the story.

Maria looks at Jack and Sean, continues. "That's when your dad thought it'd be a good idea to drive them back by shooting a drum of diesel fuel that was above them."

"Woah, Dad, cool!" Sean chirped, Jack looking at his Dad excitedly as well.

Danny, however, had his head down. Further down the table, Linda had a look on her face as she glares at Danny. "I don't recall this story involving you shooting diesel fuel?" When he doesn't answer her, she repeats, "Danny?"

Frank to her right laughs with Henry. "That's because it doesn't."

"What?" Linda asks, again glaring at Danny.

"I swear that the sticker said diesel." He says, looking down at the table.

"Yeah," Henry follows, "too bad they couldn't find the label."

"...or the drum, for that matter." Frank finishes, laughing.

Linda, Erin, Nicky, and the boys all turn to Baez, confusion on their faces.

"Later on we found out that they were keeping the TNT sticks in those drums, packed with straw."

"You shot a drum full of dynamite?!" Linda exclaimed.

"No." Danny says in a firm, yet defensive, voice. "No, I did not. I shot a mislabeled drum partially stocked with dynamite sticks that was being improperly stored." Danny replied, his index finger pointing out the issues he had with the story.

"Twice."

"What?" Danny asked.

"You shot it twice, Danny!" Maria replied.

"No, I shot it once."

"No, Danny, you shot it twice. Once because you thought you missed, but that was really a through and through, and the second one that sparked the dynamite." Maria explained.

Everyone turned to look at Danny.

"This is why I tell the story better. This has nothing to do with how he case was closed." Danny replied defensively.

Nicky looks to Maria, however. "So what happened?"

"Well, Nicky, the drum was thankfully up high enough that most of the shrapnel went over our head, but the shockwave took the bangers and myself into the river. Somehow your Uncle Danny remained on dry land."

Danny spoke up at this point. "With El Roca."

Maria grinned. "With a very unhappy El Roca. So Danny is staring down El Roca with his weapon, and the rest of us are climbing out of the water. El Roca goes to run at Danny, and Danny shoots him in the shoulder."

"The shoulder?" Jamie questions.

"Between the flash and the boom, I couldn't see or hear all that well, kid." Danny said, shrugging.

"So now El Roca was mad, and shot. And probably also having ear and eye issues as well. He keeps on coming, and now Danny keeps missing him. Finally Danny runs out of bullets and throws the gun at El Roca's head."

"Nu unh, Uncle Danny!" Nicky laughs as Danny shrugs.

"Hey, it worked. He was too stunned to chase me!"

"Of course he was stunned, he had a grade 2 concussion!" Henry says, laughing.

"So Danny and I are huddled behind a barricade, the crew behind another barricade. Neither of us knew the others were unarmed now thanks the to the swim in the river. We were just getting ready to make a run for it when ESU comes storming in, arresting the bangers, including El Roca."

"They had to use three sets of cuffs for him." Danny says to Jack and Sean.

"So now we have," Maria counts using her fingers, "Johansen, our LT, and the borough deputy chief all at the scene. There is this insane guy, John Corker, who owned the demolition company shouting and making a scene about wanting our badges and the city to pay for lost wages, time, and damages to his property. And our Sarge giving both of us a thorough yelling standing in the middle of the half blown up docks."

"Danny is sent home on paid administrative leave until they decide what charges to file. I'm assigned to desk duty, after I washed the river off me."

"So how did you get out of trouble, Dad?" Sean asks.

"Well, as it turns out, Corker was trying to buy up all the property in that area cheap." Henry jumps in. "So he was hiring the thugs to cause the property values to drop. The dead guy was one of the foremen at the construction site. They hoped if they killed a few of the crew they'd abandon the build for cheap. But your father stumbled into them, and they were too stupid to play it cool."

"I'm sorry, Gramps, you mean my great sense of detective skills closed my first case as a detective?" Danny smugly smiled down the table.

"I'm pretty sure I remember Johansen closing that case, Daniel. It'd be hard for you to close the case while you were getting your ass handed to you by Chief of D's O'Hara." Henry replied.

"So did you get into any trouble, Uncle Danny?"

"Of course not, Nicky. Danny sweated through the Deputy Chief listing his department charges to him.". Maria says, laughing at Danny's face remembering that day.

"Disobeying orders." Henry lobs out.

"Reckless use of firearms" Frank joins in.

"Destruction of private property," Maria adds.

"Unnecessary use of force?" Jamie suggests, getting nods from Frank and Henry.

"However," Danny interrupted loudly, "due to the collusion of Corker, and the actions leading to a major racketeering conviction, the Deputy Chief reduced the incident to a seven day RIP."

"Yeah, and I got a note in my record. Almost got a three day RIP, but Danny took full responsibility for everything." Maria says, staring down Danny. "So like I said, nothing as scary as Danny Reagan saying 'Trust me'".

"So Uncle Danny, would you do the same today?" Nicky asks across the table to Danny.

"Yes, I would." Danny paused, chewing his bite of food. "Well, not quite. I wouldn't have left the scene like that, and I wouldn't have gone banging into that building without backup. And I sure as hell wouldn't have let some burnout ignore a critical clue like that." Danny cut into his meat again, seemingly done with his statement.

Frank stared at his oldest. "...and?"

Danny stared back, blinking. "Annnnnnd... I wouldn't have shot the drum of gas." A pause, then, "Which is what the label said it was."

Erin smirked. "Right. Like when you swore that you didn't see my name on that slice of cake in the fridge when we were kids."

"Wha... That was ...thirty years ago?" Danny whined, before pointing his fork at his sister. "Besides, your name was not on that slice of cake."

"Mmmmhmmm ..." Erin said, glaring at him.

* * *

"I tell you every time you're over you don't have to do that, Maria." Linda says as Maria grabbed a dish towel to dry dishes as Erin washed and Linda rinsed.

"Yeah, but this always reminds me of when my family would get together, the whole family, my abuelas and abuelos, cousins and everyone. Afterwards all the girls would be in the kitchen together, and we'd share stories, and laugh. It was some of my favorite nights when I was growing up." Maria replies, a smile and a whistful expression in her eyes.

Nodding, Linda passes Maria a glass.

"Also, is it me, or was Jack staring at me the whole meal?" Maria askes, causing Erin and Linda to giggle.

"Yeah, it's very possible." Linda replies, nodding.

"It's kinda cute." Maria shrugs thoughtfully. "I haven't been a crush in a while."

The other women laughed. "Well, he's in between girlfriends. I'm sure next time you're here he'll be onto some other crush." Linda said, passing a plate to Maria.

"To be young again." Maria said mirthfully. "A few more years with Danny, I don't know how much younger I'll feel."

"Yeah, at least you've had a few years off in between shifts with him." Erin says, laughing. "I've been stuck with my annoying brother the whole time."

Maria turns suddenly as she dried the last plate, placing it on top of the others, bracing against the counter with her head down. Erin and Linda exchange glances, Erin confused while Linda's face was more remorseful, as Linda raises a hand to Maria's back. Maria jumps at the contact, before a quiet sob escapes.

"I used to think that my life would be so much better without Javi around. He was always causing so many problems for my family, but my mother would always let him back in, and he'd disappear again with some jewelry or knick knacks to sell for some dope." Maria turns, her shoulders slumped. "I don't know why this just ... I'm sorry." Maria wipes the tear that had escaped her eye.

Erin walks up to Maria, wrapping her in a hug. "Don't ever be sorry, especially in this house."

"I just feel so guilty. I wanted him gone for so long, and he's gone now, and I just want to take back all those thoughts, and have him back, even for just five minutes." Maria says, muffled by the body of the taller brunette. "Now I can't believe it's been over two years, and I still miss him so much."

"Joe has been gone almost nine, and I still have to remind myself he's gone." Erin said, pulling away as Linda rubs Maria's arm.

"It wouldn't hurt so much if you hadn't loved him as much as you did, Maria." Linda says softly, pulling her full matron wisdom voice to bear.

Erin smirks, offering to Maria, "If it helps, you can borrow my brother. Hopefully he treats you better than he treated me."

"Who treated you bad, sis?" Danny says as he enters the kitchen, eyeing the three women warily while depositing his empty bottle in the recycling.

"You, you big jerk. All through our childhood."

"Hey, I was a great big brother!" Danny replys boastfully, opening his fresh beer. "Who took care of Donnie Fitzgerald for you in the tenth grade?"

"Who stole my Barbie's when I was five!?"

"My GI Joe's rescued them." Danny replies, a smirk edging on the corner of his lips around the beer bottle as he sips from it.

"Missing their HEADS, Daniel!"

Danny shrugs as he exits the kitchen, turning around to walk backwards through the swinging door. "They were late." A grin on his face.

The three women all laugh and rolled their eyes.

"Yeah," Maria starts, pointing towards the door her partner had just exited. "You can keep him."

"I HEARD THAT, BAEZ!" Danny hollered from across the house.

* * *

 **AN2** \- I know almost next to nothing about firearms, so direct any complaints about the haranguing of the Hi-Point at the website I found.


	3. When it Mattered - Vinnie

Chapter Three: When it mattered... (Vinnie)

 **AN1** \- Set just before the dinner scene in "No Way Out"

* * *

"Thanks, Gramps." Jamie says as he takes the glass of amber liquid from his grandfather. Dinner was still baking, and most of the family was outside enjoying the sunny spring day, except Jamie who had been quietly sitting in the living room since mass that morning. Henry sat down across from him, a glass of whisky in his hand as well.

"I don't know what you want me to say, Gramps." Jamie took a slow pull of the amber fluid, his face drawn as he eyed his grandfather across the coffee table.

"Who said I was expecting you to talk?" Henry sipped at his own glass before continuing. "I'm just sitting here, drinking my drink."

"I'm really fine, Grandpa." Jamie replies, defensively.

"Bull." Jamie looked up as Henry spat the word out. Jamie's head snaps up at his grandfather's tone.

"You're not the first to have your partner shot and killed in front of you. Not even the only one in the house to have that happen." Henry leaned forward, hand gesticulating sideways. "We all deal with this kind of pain in our own ways, Jamie. I'm not here to tell you how to deal with it." Henry meets Jamie's eyes, a pregnant pause as he holds his attention.

"I'm just here." Henry lifts his glass slightly. "Drinking my drink, with my grandson."

The pair sit for a few minutes in silence, sipping at their drinks before Jamie speaks up.

"You know, he was supposed to come over next week for the Mets game. It seems so weird that he won't be there when I go back to the station tomorrow, Gramps."

Henry nods, sitting quietly as Jamie winds it out of his system. Jamie takes a deep sip, his Adam's apple bobbing as he keeps trying to get the words out.

"I keep going over that moment in my head, I know it's ..useless, but.."

"But the what-ifs and if-I-onlys keep seeping in?"

Jamie nods. "Yeah." A breath, a sip, and a quiet continuance. "How will my next partner ever trust me after I let Vinnie get killed?"

Henry's heart breaks for his youngest grandson, his voice soft as he replies after a moment. "Because when it happened," Henry pauses briefly, choosing his words. "When it mattered, you were right there with him, trying to save his life. He died knowing you had his back." Henry stood as the back door opened, commotion following the sound of the steaks coming inside. "That's all your new partner will need to know. You were there when it mattered, and you never left his side."

Jamie nodded, finishing off his whiskey.

Henry thumbs towards the dining room. "Come on, sounds like dinner is coming."

"Gramps?" Jamie calls out as Henry almost is out of the room. "Thanks."

Henry nods his head.

* * *

 **AN2** \- I'll have a 'real' Vinnie chapter eventually, but this plot bunny was insistent. Also, should be the only time in this series the partner is not present.


	4. Fisherman's Helper - Abbey

**AN1** \- Set in late Season Six or very early Season Seven. Also, I'm stealing a bit of Abbey's backstory from "I've Got Your Back, You've Got Mine," which if you haven't read, is amaze balls and you should go read that. Suffice to say by Season Six Abbey's son Michael is four, and not in this story.

 **AN2** \- I apoligize for the delay in updates, and the brevity of this one. Real life, blah blah, etc etc. I had started this in the before, and now in the after it's just fighting me, so I finished it to what I could.

 **Chapter Four: Fisherman's Helper - (Abbey)**

"Ok Nicky, I'm at your grandfathers office, I'm gonna let you go. I'll talk to you later, I love you." Abbey could hear the end of the phone conversation as Erin Reagan got off the elevator and walked towards her father's office. It was Friday evening, and Abbey was almost ready to leave, as was her boss. Erin's arrival meant it was about time for them all to leave.

"Hey, Abbey!" Erin greeted as she approached the desk. In the over a decade that Abbey had worked with the PC, both as his assistant when he was Chief of Staff, and now as PC, Abbey had gotten to know the Reagan family well. In some ways it was part of her job to make sure she knew the pieces of her bosses life, but really, the family had the tendency to swallow in people who were in the periphery of their lives. It was a long known poorly kept secret that most of the Reagans had their partners over to the house once in a while, and certainly Abbey had been at more of the family gatherings that she would ever had expected if she was working for someone else.

"Erin, how are you!?" Abbey greeted the taller woman.

"I'm good. Ready for this week to be over, honestly. You?"

"I'm ready for the week to be over, but ...", Abbey paused, not wanting to admit this, but she didn't have a lot of mom friends, mostly due to the nature of where she spent her days. "Brian and Michael are both gone for the weekend. First time Michael is going on the Delucia Men's Camping Trip." She sighed for a moment. "I had been so excited thinking about all the time I would finally have to myself, but now I'm..."

"...afraid of the empty house?" Erin finished, a knowing tone to her voice.

Abbey nodded. "Pretty much."

"After Nicky first left for school, I'm pretty sure I spent twenty more hours a week at work, just to avoid going home to the empty apartment."

"I guess I just thought I'd be more excited. This is my first time alone since Michael was born."

Erin nodded, tilting her head. "Why don't you come over Sunday? Grandpa is making his famous meatloaf that feeds fifty. Save you from having to mess with cooking for yourself, and we'll have you home in time for the boys to get back."

"I ...uhhh ...I'd hate to intrude on the PC."

Erin laughed. "Oh please, the only thing you might intrude on is Danny hoarding the meatloaf. Ever since Eddie swiped the last pork chop from under his nose a few months ago, he's become very possessive of the meat platter." Erin said, heading towards her father's office, pausing at the door. "So you'll come?"

Abbey sighed. "Well, I can't not come to see that, can I?" Erin and her traded smiles as Erin went into the office.

Inside, Frank Reagan sat on his couch, his body reclined and his head covered by one of his arms. The past week had been a long one, and he was ready to escape it, starting with a nice dinner with his daughter. But first...

"Did you ask her?"

"Yes, Dad." Erin sat in the chair to Frank's right, patting his knee as he sat up. "And you were right, she sounds like she could use a bit of company this weekend. But how did you know she was so upset about it. It's not like Abbey to whine, much less to you."

Frank stood up, swooping into his suit coat as he looked at Erin and smiled. "I'm the Police Commissioner, sweetie. I know everything."

Erin rolled her eyes as the pair made their way to the door. "I can't believe I walked into that one."

"Linda," Abbey asked as the bowls and plates were settling down from the first passing, "you have to give me this potato salad recipie, it's amazing."

Henry looks down at his salad, forking at the contents. "Looks the same to me."

Abbey pauses, giving Linda a look from between Nicki and Jamie. Linda just shrugged with a knowing grin. "I'll email it to you, Danny found it on a Pinterest page last week."

Several pieces of silverware screeched on the china as Linda's words echoed around the room. Slowly all eyes turned to said Daniel Reagan, who himself was paused mid-chew with his head down, peering around the table from under his eyebrows. Frank leaned forwards on his elbows, his own eyebrows up and centered with amusement. Erin and Jaime both shared a genetic smile not unlike sharks in chummed water as they waited for the right moment to pounce.

Danny leans into his wife, whispering "I thought that was supposed to be between us, babe?"

"Why, Danny?" Erin answered for Linda. "There's no shame in some recreational Pintrest."

"Yeah, Danny. Have you found the perfect wedding dress yet?" Jamie asked, years of sibling timing coming to play.

Danny grinned at his brother. "Yeah kid, I found a great one. I shared it with Janko."

The color that rose up Jaime's neck was all the acknowledgement Danny needed that his barb had hit home.

"Well, I don't get what's wrong with Uncle Danny using Pinterest. There is a lot of great stuff on there." Nicky replied, picking at her broccoli.

"That's because you're a girl." Sean replied from across the table.

Laughter from around the table at Sean's remark finally gave Danny the escape he was looking for.

"So Abbey, how's the school search going?" Erin started after a minute.

Abbey rolled her eyes, taking a moment to eat a string bean to gather her thoughts. "It's been tough, a lot tougher than I'd have thought. There are so many pre-K programs, and most of the ones we really like are not quite on the way to work. We had liked our new place because of how accessible it was for schools in the area, but now it's just too many choices!"

"I know we really were happy with St. Ann's when Jack and Sean were young." Linda said, gesturing to her boys next to her who perked at the mention of their old school.

Turning to her dinner table neighbor, Abbey addressed Nickie. "So Nickey, how's university life treating you? I know I really loved my time at Columbia."

"It's been great. I've learned so much, and had such great experiences." Nikki paled for a second. "Even some of the not fun experiences have been educational." Nikki looked down the table to her grandfather, a shared smile between the two.

"Detective Baker, did you used to be a real detective like my dad before you started working for Granpa?" Sean asked.

Linda and Danny both hissed rebukes to the confused boy as several other shared smiles at his question.

"Sean," his grandfather started, leaning in and gesturing towards Abbey. "Detective Baker is a real detective. She's pretty much run the place off and on for a few years now."

Baker rolls her eyes at that. "I don't think that's true, sir." Turning to Sean, she smiles as she starts. "To answer your question, Sean, yes I was a detective a long time ago before your Grandfather asked me to work for him."

Nikki chimed in, "Do you miss it?"

Abbey paused, sharing a look with her boss. "No." A silent beat before she plates some more beans for herself. "After I was injured, I didn't know if I could emotionally return to the job again once I was released, and I had submitted my resignation. Your grandfather talked me into working for him instead."

"Where would Francis be without the heavy hitter hiding in the shadows?" Henry jibed in, a crooked grin on his face.

"I'm sure he'd be right where he is now, sir." Abbey replied, a slight blush hiding behind her grin.

"Perhaps," Frank adds, "but I'd be very lost without you, Baker."

"Maybe if I had a Baker, my L-T wouldn't be so far up my butt about paperwork." Danny suggested.

His father smirked knowingly at him. "You think paperwork is what Lt. Foster finds most annoying about you?"

Danny smirked, his reply coming as Jamie interrupted, "Oh boy, here we go..."

His smirk a touch deflated as he wasted a second to glance at his kid brother, Danny kept going. "Well, WE know it isn't my fabulous close rate, right Baker?"

Baker laughed, holding her hands up in surrender, drawing laughter with her reply. "I'm not stepping in the middle of Reagan crossfire, Danny."

"So where does Brian's family camp, Abbey?" Henry asked after the ribbing on Danny finally died down.

"Cranberry Lake, in the Adirondacks. It's very rustic, no motors and lots of fishing." She smiles softly, "Brian's been really looking forward to taking Michael for the first time. When Michael was still a baby, he started really talking about the first times his father took him up."

"How come we had to wait until we were thirteen to go camping, Pop?" Jack asked Henry.

"Because that's how my grandfather did it, and we've kept it that way since then." Henry pauses, taking a sip of wine. "Every family does these things different, boys, and that's why every family is special."

Linda handed Abby a glass, who promptly dried and put away, ready to recieve the next part of the dishes that were almost done.

"You know the nice part about just the three of us, so many fewer dishes." Abby mused as she put away the last glass and shut the cabinet.

"Yeah, I don't know how Mary did it when Frank and the kids were all so young." Linda replied, shaking her head.

"Oh please, Mom and Dad use made Danny and Me do them every night." Erin added from the kitchen table, where she and Jamie were playing a game of checkers and having a glass of whiskey.

"Never were the two of them so happy as when Mom said Joe and I were old enough to help." Sharing a knowing look with Erin, Jamie continues, "Which to their minds meant that Joe and I had to do all the dishes, but still share the dishes allowance with them."

Erin feigned shock, pointing a finger at her younger brother. "That's not true, we had to make sure you two actually cleaned the dishes!" She brusquely moved one of her checkers, saying "King me!" with far more force than would be normal outside of the Reagan household.

Abbey smiled, watching the siblings interacting. Linda watching her, nudged her slightly. "What, you've never watched the rats eat each other?"

Abbey laughed, taking the plate offered by Linda. "No, I was just thinking. I grew up an only child, and all my friends made it sound so horrible to have siblings." She takes the next plate, drying it slowly while thinking. "But we never see how it turns out when you're grown up. That you have another person in the world that knows all your family stories, and shares the history when your parents are gone."

Linda guffawed, rinsing the sink after handing over the last plate. "Well, don't glamorize it too much. That's all true, but if most siblings are like mine and like these guys", Linda points at the still bickering checker players, "you're still stuck with a sibling, for better or worse."

Later that night, Abbey is snuggled into her bad, Brian sharing the story of Michael pulling a fish almost as big as he is - and were there not pictures, she wouldn't have believed this particular fish story. She could hear Brian talking about the catch, but her mind was still elsewhere, thinking about something else.

Finally Brian noticed her lack of attention. "Hey, Babe?"

"Wha? Yeah?"

"Where'd ya go?"

Abbey rolls over, smiles at her husband. "Have you ever considered how much more fish you could catch if Michael had a helper?"

"A helper? I'm always right there with him, and Dad keeps a clos..." Brian's attempts to calm his wife's (non-existent) worries were silenced by a soft kiss.

"No, not a helper. A helper. A little, younger, helper. Someone he could help show the ropes."

Brian grins, mischievously adding first "Well, his niece isn't old enough to go yet..." before leaning in to kiss Abbey softly. Pulling her close, he whispers "Does this mean you want ..."

Abbey smiles softly, nodding while reaching out to turn out the light.


	5. Grace -Jackie

**A/N** \- Set two weeks post "The Blue Templar."

"Nah, kid." Jackie Carricolla responded as she motioned towards Jack for him to come over. "You gotta grip it different, like this." She moves his hand down the football, turning it to inspect her work.

Jack squinted at the ball in his hand, turning to look at the woman squatting next to him. "But Dad says that's how girls hold the ball."

"Yeah, and I bet he taught you how to hold the ball like he does?" Jack nods, and Jackie nods back, her eyes rolling behind her aviator sunglasses. "Kid, look at your hand." Jack did as he was told. "Now look at your Dad's hand." Jack looked over to where his father was sitting, next to his mother in one of the benches in the Reagan backyard. "See how much bigger his hand is? One day you'll probably be bigger than he is, but for right now - look... Do you want to throw farther, or like a 'guy'?" Jackie asks, using her fingers for the air quote.

Jack ponders for a moment, then answers with some hesitation. "Well, I'd like to be able to throw farther, but I don't want to be made fun of."

Standing, Jackie ruffles the young boys hair. "Kid, you throw fast and hard, no one will pay attention how you throw it." Jack nods, running off to rejoin his younger brother.

"Danny is going to fit when he finds out you told his son to throw like a girl." Erin Reagan's voice came from behind Jackie. As Jackie turned, Erin offered he the spare beer in her hands, which Jackie gladly accepted with a nod. "As a member of the female Reagan minority, I thank you." Erin says, flashing a conspiratorial grin.

"Ah, Reagan could use some more estrogen in his life." Jackie shrugged, taking a healthy swallow of the cold beer, the late spring heat still very manageable as they reclined in the shade. Looking around, she turned back to Erin. "So where's Jamie at?"

"They're dropping off the Chevelle at the shop today now that IA and everyone else has released it."

Jackie winced at the thought of the beautiful car now all but certainly totaled. Taking another swig, she exhaled as she measured her words. "Man, Jamie got lucky walking away from that. Someone was really looking out for him."

Wrapping her arms around herself, Erin paused as she pondered that. "I like to think it's Joe, still keeping an eye out for us. He always was so overprotective."

"Enh... I'm sure he was, he was a Reagan after all." Erin nods at that. "But I also remember the first time Danny and I worked together in the Two-Three, he asked me out like every time he saw me." Jackie smiled at the memory, sipping at her beer. "Made it hard to say no."

Erin laughs. "Yeah, that sounds like Joe. Always hard to say no to those eyes."

Jackie nods, "Yeah... Wasn't easy to say no to the rest of him either. Where did your family get such good luck genetically, anyways?"

Erin rolls her eyes. "Oh yes, because you got hit by the ugly truck."

Jackie smiles. "I do okay, I guess"

"Do ok with what?" The boyish timber of Jamie Reagan interrupted the women.

"You think Jackie's pretty, Jamie?" Erin asked, looking to put her brother in the hot seat. Jamie paused, looked at Jackie for a second, who crossed her arms at the younger Reagan's pause, waiting for his answer.

Jamie shrugged, looking back at Erin. "Yeah, she does okay." With that, Jamie stole Erin's still mostly full beer and walked away to her open mouthed look of faux-shock.

"Hey! I was drinking that!"

Jackie pointed at Jamie as he walked towards his father. "Now that is why I'm glad I don't have siblings."

Erin rolled her eyes as she stood up to go get a replacement for her absconded beer. "Yeah, well, you can have one of mine."

"Ohhhhh no." Jackie shouts at the retreating Erin while laughing, "I spend enough time with one of your brothers!"

Danny looks up from where he is sitting with Linda, a smirk on his face. "Yeah, and it's the best part of your days, Jack."

Frank Reagan turns from the grill, where he has been nursing his own beer while tending to the steaks. Sharing a mischievous look not unlike the one Erin used earlier with Jackie, the younger patriarch grouses with a smile evident below the bushy mustache. "Danny, don't harass the guests."

Linda shakes her head with a wide grin on her face, stands up and say something to Danny before walking towards the kitchen door. As she passes Jackie, she squeezes her arm. "I'm glad you came today, Jack. We're all glad."

Jackie smiles widely, always enjoying how much the wife of her husband always makes her feel welcome. "Thanks, Lin. I'm glad I came, too. A bit busier than cookouts at your place, though."

Linda glanced at Frank and Henry, who were having a ... discussion on the merits of a certain manner of grilling ...or something.

"Teddy bears, Jackie. Don't let the stars and war stories scare you, they're big teddy bears." Squeezing her arm one more time, Linda moved inside.

Standing up, Jackie made her way past the bickering Reagan patriarchs ("Pop, I've been grilling for fourth years, don't you think I know that?") and took Linda's vacated seat next to Danny, who was watching Jack, Sean, and Nicky play.

Danny nodded at the group of kids playing. "Reminds me of when Erin, Joe, and I were small, Jack." Danny sips at his beer, his thoughts obviously weighing him down. "It was easier when I thought some two-bit skew killed my brother." He pauses, another slow sip. "I'm just so mad, Jack." His silence was accompanied by a hard stare out into nothingness, his mind obviously processing. "We're supposed to have each other's backs out there, Jack. How do I get my head around the idea that a fellow cop killed my brother?"

"They were not cops anymore." Frank Reagan's timbre broke through the silence. "The moment they chose to rob, cheat, and steal while hiding behind a badge..." The Commissioner sighs, his eyebrows knitting together, soft eyes meeting his sons angry ones. "They stopped being cops, Danny."

"Your dad's right. These guys ...they chose to be scum, Danny. Don't let them ruin what we live everyday." Jackie added.

"Dad! You said the steaks would be done five minutes ago!" Erin hollered from the kitchen door.

"Well, your grandfather shifted the flues, took a few more minutes, sweetie."

Henry harrumphed from his spot closer to the grill. "I saved the meat, and that's the thanks I get!"

Erin rolls her eyes, retreating inside. Jackie followed her movement, seeing her interact with Linda. Danny, sensing dinner approaching, called out to the boys to go wash up, Nicky following along. Jackie took another swig of her beer, then exhaling, Jackie turned to Danny.

"Listen, maybe this helps, maybe it doesn't. I think you're missing out on what's important. You have a great family, both between you, Linda and the kids; as well as the rest of your family. Yeah, something shitty happened to your family - but we see it everyday, Danny. Shitty things happen to good people - but if you let that hold you back, you're missing what's in front of you."

"Like what, Jack?"

"Like the fact that you got really lucky with Linda. Do you know how many wives have ever sent me a Christmas card, much less those cookies - went straight to my hips, by the way. Like you have two great kids, one of which I taught to throw a football like a girl."

"Jack! What'dya doing teaching my kids to throw the ball wrong!?"

"Yeah, you'll thank me for that one day."

"Ok, let's go eat these perfectly cooked steaks before they get too cold, guys!" Henry called, handing the platter of meat to Frank.

Danny looks to Jackie. "I got a buck that says they're burnt."

Jackie stands up, laughing. "No chance, Reagan."

Inside, there was a flurry of activity as the table was set, and dishes were brought out. Jackie sat next to Danny, with Jack swinging around to sit next to his great-grandfather.

Frank raised his hand, getting the attention of the others sitting at the table. "I don't want to make a big thing.." There was grousing and heckling around the table at his comment. "But I do want to say something to our guest - Detective Curritola, this family owes you a debt of gratitude. Not only for sticking your career out on the line to help us find the men who killed Joe," Frank pauses at the name, his mustache and eyebrows furrowing, before lifting the eyebrows as he finishes, "but for risking your own life in the process."

"Here here," Erin said.

"Thank you, Jack," Danny said.

Henry and Jamie raised their glasses, and the rest of the table followed suit.

Jackie ducked her head, blushing slightly And raising her beer in reply. "I'm just glad you guys trusted me enough to ask me."

Frank leaned back, smiling around the table. "Now, who wants to say grace?"


	6. The Pool - Janko

AN- Set in the magical what-if land of futures possible.

* * *

"I can't believe I'm doing this, Jamie."

"What're you talking about, Ed? You've been over for Sunday Dinner a bunch of times before." Jamie replied, taking the exit to head towards Bay Ridge.

"Yeah, but that was as your partner, not your knocked up fiancée!"

Jamie grinned, leaning into the console in the middle of the Mustang conspiratorialy while shifting into gear.

"Can I tell you a semi-secret?"

"No." Pause. "Yes."

"You won't be the first woman at that table to be pregnant and still soon-to-be married, Ed." Jamie squeezed Eddie's hand as they continued down the main drag, slowing to turn into the right subdivision.

"Erin?!" Eddie excalimed, befuddled and amused at the same time.

"I always forget you were not around for Jack. It turns out Nicky was born six months after they got married, a quickly arranged marriage, at that."

"But Erin seems so ...by the book!" Eddie was still bouncing between confused and relieved.

"Sure. NOW. You think Nicky is wild? She's got nothing on her mother." Jamie smiled as they pulled up to the curb. "I'd have thought that for the number of times you've been over here, you'd have picked that up from the stories we tell!"

Eddie paused, neither having gotten out of the car. "Well, yeah, but I never can tell what's the real story with you guys. Everyone has a different version."

"Well, first off, anything Danny says is usually wrong."

"Mmmhmmmm, Reagan. You're just saying that 'cause he has all the good dirt on you."

"Hey, just remember whose side you're on here, Janko!"

"I'm on my side, Lambchop." She flashed him her widest, cockiest grin. Usually the one that caused him to lose whatever argument they were having. It was really unfair. Eddie steps out of the car, her baby bump only barely noticeable in the loose top she was wearing. She looked at Jamie across the top of the car, sliding her aviators on as she kept her grin on her face. "And if I'm gonna survive being a member of this family, I'm gonna have to make some allies." Eddie laughed as Jamie blanched at the idea.

"Well, you already have Gramps wrapped around your finger, isn't that enough?"

"Oh, noooo... Nooo oh oh oh... Never enough!" Eddie laughed as the walked up the path and entered the house.

"Hey, Dad, Gramps! We're here!" Jamie hollered as the cool blast of the air conditioned air cooled them off from the hot muggy August air.

"In the kitchen." Frank Reagan replied.

"We?" Came the confused voice of Henry Reagan. "Who's we?"

"It's me, Henry!" Eddie replied, just as they entered the kitchen where the Reagan men were huddled around a pork roast. Henry was making the final preparations to put it in the oven, while Frank was 'supervising' while drinking what Jamie assumed was his first post-mass Sunday beer.

"Hey Eddie! What a suprise!" Henry exclaimed, giving her a soft hug, which Eddie gladly returned. The two had bonded over the past four years, each enjoying a partner in crime at the dinner table, and Eddie finding a great mentor in both being a cop, and dealing with her father's impending release.

Frank, however, eyed Jamie and Eddie, his mustache swallowing his mouth in obvious thought as her took in the other three. Jamie, seeing the look, knew that they had already been busted, although he also knew his father would never be the first one to speak up directly. Instead, Frank took the long route. "You two are here early?"

"Ummm... Yeah." Jamie looked at Eddie, then back to his paternal lineage. "We wanted to tell you something first, before everyone else."

"Aww, damn it." Henry said, both Eddie and Jamie looking at him completely confused as he pulls out his wallet and slides a twenty dollar bill to Frank who pocketed it with a big grin shared amongst the three.

Eddie's face flashed confusion, aghast, and finally her natural mode of excited aggravation as she half shouted. "Wait, how did you know?!"

Frank grinned at her, before replying, "I'm the police commissioner, I know everything."

Jamie, however, was not so easily buffaloed by that line. "You saw the transfer request Eddie put in, didn't you?"

Frank shrugs. "Well, I try to avoid keeping a watchful eye on my kids, or their partners," Frank waves at Eddie. "However, I can't seem to get my staff to do likewise. Abbey was very confused why Eddie would suddenly request a transfer to the 2-7 about three months ago. I, of course, was surprised. But I figured you'd explain it at dinner that Sunday."

Jamie laughed, his head lolled back as he saw the flaw in their plan now. "And when I never mentioned my new partner, you put two and two together."

Frank shrugged in a false humility.

Henry chirped up next, eying Eddie. "So, do you guys know if it's a boy or a girl?"

Frank swiveled his head, surprise a rare emotion for Jamie to see on his father's face. "What?"

Jamie and Eddie were equally awestruck by his question.

Henry puts the roast in the oven, before turning around to stare at the three of them. "I've been around pregnant women since the 40's." Henry points at Eddie's shirt. "THAT is a shirt a woman wears to hide her bump."

Frank sighs, reaching into his pocket to retrieve his freshly won loot, only to begrudgingly slide the ill gotten money back to his father.

"So... ?" Henry asks again.

Eddie and Jamie share a look, before Eddie looks back. "Well, that's part of why we're here so early."

"See, the thing is, Dad..." Jamie pauses, trying to find his words, when Eddie jumps in to help him.

"Jamie wants to name him Joseph, but we wanted to ask you first."

Frank tears up, a big fatherly teddy bear grin on his face as he blinks back said tears. "Of course, yes." He stands up and hugs his son tightly, the tears mutual between the two men. They separate, and Frank looks to Eddie. "Can I hug my newest daughter?"

Eddie nods, trying not to cry herself while blaming the hormones in her head for the tears, and is enveloped in the hug of the huge man, and Eddie smiles.

As they break apart, tears are wiped and Henry finally asks the last question. "So, is there a wedding coming soon, I hope?"

"Wedding? Who's getting married?" Erin's voice calls from the living room. "Jamie, did you finally trick that partner of yours into going out with you, because it's about damne... Eddie!" Erin's voice raises several octaves as she finally enters the kitchen to see said partner already there. She hugs the younger woman, and then pulls away as she eyes her up. "Wait, wedding?" She looks at Jamie. "You know, most people date first."

Eddie laughs. "I think we've been dating for four years already."

"Congrats, Uncle Jamie!" Nicky adds, taking in the scene in front of her.

Erin suddenly pauses, grabbing Eddie by the shoulder. "Wait, when did this begin? Officially?"

"May?" Eddie replies hesitantly.

"Damn it!" Erin replies, reaching into her purse to hand Frank twenty dollars.

Jamie shakes his head incredulously. "Who in this family isn't in on this pool?"

"I don't think the boys are, Uncle Jamie." Nicky replies, handing her grandfather a ten dollar bill.

Nicky joins the rest of the Reagans (and soon to be Reagan) at the island, sliding in next to Eddie. She smiles and asks "Does this mean I have to call you Aunt Ed now?" referring to a Sunday dinner joke about how the two youngest women had somewhat easily confused for male names. Laughing at her own joke, Nicky lightly elbows Eddie in the side, which causes both women to react. "Oh my god, Eddie! I'm so sorry!" Nicky exclaims, cupping her face in panic.

"It's fine, Nicky, it's fine!" Eddie replies, holding her stomach protectively more than in any pain.

Erin looks at the two women, then turns to Jamie, who by now is sipping at his own beer, who looks back at her with a look that screams something about glass houses. Erin tilts her eyes towards their father and grandfather, and Jamie nods.

"So, you guys just moving right along then?" Erin says with a sly grin at Jamie. "Eddie, Congratulations. Although I should warn you, Reagan child are a handful."

"Yeah, and us Janko's were a group of hyenas. Should make for some fun babysitting for Uncle Danny," Eddie says, getting a laugh from the table.

The group broke up as Nicky and Erin, with Eddie's help, began to prepare their dishes while talking. The men went to the living room, Frank distributing shallowly filled glasses of scotch, giving a unspoken toast to Jamie's joy.

"I'm happy for you, son." Frank said, clasping his youngest's shoulder. "I think we'd all have perhaps preferred if you had made it to the church first," Frank pauses, his mouth again swallowed by his mustache as he ponders something. "But your mother would remind us that what's important is family, and I'm just so happy for yours."

"Here, here" Henry adds.

"So," Frank looks at Jamie for a second before continuing. "When are you going to tell Danny?"

Jamie rolls his eyes. "You mean when am I going to have to listen to the 'I told you so, kid!' for a few weeks?"

Frank and Henry nod, look at each other, then back to Jamie, replying in unison. "Yeah." "Yeah, pretty much."

Jamie smirked, looking at his dad. "I figured I'd let the master detective deduce it all on his own." Which got a round of laughs from the other Reagan men.

"Hey, Pops! I got those fingerlings you wanted!" The voice of the Master Dectective rang through the house from the kitchen door. Sharing a look, the other three men finished their drinks and went to the kitchen.

Entering it, they found Erin and Linda talking off to the side, while Jack and Sean were off to turn on the ballgame they had been listening to on the way over on. Nicky was on her phone, grinning while replying to a text message. Jamie realized that Eddie was missing.

"Hey kid brother, what's going on? You look like you lost something?" Danny teased as Jamie pulled another beer from the fridge. "You didn't swallow something agian, right?"

"Only thing I've lost was my humor for that joke, Dan." Jamie replied with a roll of his eyes, the humor in his voice disproving the words.

"You know, one day we'll get that pretty partner of yours over here again, and we can finally share that gem."

"What gem?" Said pretty partner said.

"Oh, just a great story from the Kid's youth I'll have to tell you someday, Janko. I didn't know you were stopping by?"

"Why not, Danny? You know there's always an open chair for our partners." Jamie stressed to the room, the grins he got from several members of the Reagan clan not already in on the joke.

Danny raised his hands in defeat, smirking at what he thought was his kid brothers defensiveness.

"Jack, Sean, Nicky, will you set the table?" Erin hollers to the living room.

"Hold on, Mom! The game is tied, with the bases loaded!" Erin rolled her eyes, support lacking as several of the Reagan men left at those words, flocking to see the Yankee/Red Sox game in progress.

After Danny left with Frank and Jamie, Erin turns to Eddie. "You sure you want to be stuck in this mad house?"

Nicky is discussing her upcoming classes as she begins her Junior year, including several criminology classes she had signed up for. Dinner was midway done, first passes at the dishes having been mostly eaten, Eddie on her third helping of pork. Finally while listening to Nicky speak about college and begining to zone out, Danny realizes something.

"Hey, Janko. The kid holding out on you?"

Eddie looks up at Danny mid-chew, confused. "Wha?"

"Well, I don't think I've ever seen you not have wine with dinner. Don't tell me Jamie cut you off." Danny looks at her with a mix of confusion and ...some other emotion Eddie can't put her finger on.

"Oh, no, I huh... Just didn't want any this time." Eddie takes a sip of her water, then smiles at him. "Thanks for keeping an eye out for me though."

Danny looks at her for a minute, before resuming his task of cutting his second slice of roast. The conversation returns to Nicky and Jack, who is preparing for freshman year at community college. Danny keeps eating his food, making eye contact with Jamie and Eddie, Jamie can see the gears turning in his head.

"So Janko, where's that car of yours at? Can't believe you'd let 'Grandma Ethel' drive you here."

Jamie rolls his eyes as Eddie clarifies for him, "It's Aunt Ethel, Danny. And it was on his way, anyways." Eddie shrugs.

Danny nods. "Yeah, that should make your night shift easier for you two to get to." Danny says as he pops a piece of potato in his mouth, chewing as Eddie replies.

"No, I'm off tonight. Just ... " Eddie pauses, turning to Jamie, who has dropped his head, shaking it in disbelief, before looking back at Danny, who has now cracked his famous "Got'cha!" grin at her.

"Three hours, twenty two minutes." Frank says from the end of the table.

"What's that, Frank?" Linda asks.

"How long it took Danny to figure it out." Frank replies, his mustache wide with his humorous tone.

Danny's grin falters as he looks down to his father. "How long did it take you?"

Frank clasps his hands over his plate, leaning in and smiling. "Five minutes, six seconds. Four months ago."

Danny looks at the table, doing the math in his head, before looking up at his father, who was now staring at his oldest son, blinking innocently with his palm outstretched.

"Damn it." Danny mutters as he reaches for his pocket, handing Frank a crisp fifty dollar bill, the rest of the table laughing. Looking at his wife, Danny crinkles an eyebrow at her. "Don't you owe him some money, too?"

"No, I had to recuse myself two months ago." Linda grins widely as the whole table looks at her.

"Two months ago?" Danny questions, eyes going wide, before looking down at his kid brother, Eddie in his arms, as he smiles widely. "I'm gonna be an uncle again?"

"WHAT?" "No way!" The boys elate from further down the table.

Jamie swells with pride as he looks to Eddie, who nods. "Well, now that everyone knows, I guess it's past time to share. The doctor says our son should be due around February 15th. Joseph Edward Reagan."

At the sound of the name, there is a collective gasp of joy and happiness, tears around, including the biggest ones from Danny, who nods proudly at his kid brother.

Linda hugs Danny's arm, and he pulls her in for a one armed hug, kissing her head.

"Edward?" Henry asks as the mummering dies down.

"For my grandmother. Can't call him Edit, but Edward will do." Janko replies.

Danny looks at his father, who is quietly smiling with misty eyes. "You ok, Dad?"

Frank Reagan, his mustache covering what seems to be his lower half of his face, the eyebrows scrunched as he nods quietly. "Yeah, Danny. It just feels like Joe is here with us today." He looks up, smiling a sincere if tearful smile. "In more than one way."

Danny nods, and smiles down to his kid brother. "Yeah, I feel him too, Dad. I feel him, too."


	7. Breakfast at Franks (Melanie Maines)

**AN1:** This week's chapter is 99.9% written by TerryJ (ffnet/u/391966), author of the amazing series "I have your back, you have mine..." and has been a huge help in this series for me. So that's the good news. The bad news is that you're stuck with my writing next week, although I think what I have should be a fun twist on Sunday Dinner. If you ever have an idea or a chapter you want to add, please feel free to DM me. :)

* * *

"Bum, bumdity-da, da-de, da, bumpity, da, daaa…"

Frank Reagan hummed and sang to himself as he dropped the coffee grounds into the filter. He flicked a few stray grains off his slacks and tapped his fingers on the counter, continuing to hum as the warm aroma began to grow.

The sound of the back-patio door unexpectedly slapping open had him jumping in a way he rarely had over the course of his life.

"Morning!" Linda called entering the kitchen, a heavy-laden crockpot in her hands. She paused, looking over her father-in-law with a raised eyebrow, "Slow start this morning?"

A flash of self-conscious discomfort crossed Frank's face as he stood in front of her in his bare feet, khakis, and exposed torso, "Uh. Somewhat."

Linda shrugged and moved to put the slow cooker on the counter and clear the way to the outlet. "That's good Frank; you don't sleep enough."

"Right." He shifted back and glanced in the direction of the stairs before looking back to Linda, attempting to casually cross his arms over his chest. "You're here early."

Linda looked over her shoulder as she continued to fiddle with the timer of the cooker, "Didn't Danny tell you? He had an overnight tour up in East New York so I thought we'd come to church with you and Pop here in Brooklyn." Finishing setting the dinner to cook, she turned back to face him, wiping her hands, "Where's Henry?"

"Uh…" Frank swallowed his wince, looking back to the stairs, "He went to Atlantic City with his RDNY pals. I was going to meet him at the church."

"Oh." Linda tilted her head, "You want to ride with the boys and I? They're playing Gameboy in the car; we were going to stop at Stevie's for a quick breakfast but we can wait for you to get ready."

He rolled his lips, glancing to the side again, "Um, well…"

"Frank?!" A feminine voice came from the front hall, causing Linda's head to swivel in the direction of the stairs while Frank's eyes clenched closed.

"Did you hear me say no sugar?...Oh." Melanie stepped into the kitchen, stopping as she noticed Frank wasn't alone.

"Hello." She greeted, her confidence and affect not acknowledging there was anything unusual about her presence nor the fact she was dressed only in a red robe that was conspicuously too big for her.

Linda bit her lip, holding back a wide grin. "Hello, Ms. Maines, it's wonderful to finally meet you."

"Finally?" Melanie raised an eyebrow at Frank.

He exhaled through his nose, his shoulders caving, "Melanie, Linda. Linda is my son Danny's wife."

"Ahh." Melanie nodded, gesturing for Frank to pour a mug of the coffee, "Well, it's good to meet another member of the family."

"Danny mentioned he worked your case last year." Linda nodded, "I'm so glad that incident didn't turn you off New York for good." She smirked in Frank's direction.

Melanie followed her gaze and her lips turned up amorously, "The city continues to have some appeal…"

Frank cleared his throat and busied himself with the coffee.

"Something wrong Frank?" Melanie grinned at him.

"Nope. No. Nothing." He handed over the coffee and stepped back in the direction of the doorway, "I'm going to get dressed and head to church with Linda and the boys. Take your time; no one should be back here before noon, just flip the lock on the back door when you head out."

"Wait, you're leaving?" Linda stepped forward, looking between the two paramours.

"Linda…" Frank warned, his jaw tensing.

She ignored him, focusing on Melanie, "You should join us for dinner. I'm making my grandmother's chicken cacciatore and there's plenty of it." She smiled warmly.

"Oh, well, I don't know…" Melanie looked over her shoulder to Frank who was standing in the doorway readjusting his arms.

"Why not?" Linda pushed, "Do you have a flight to catch? We eat early on Sundays, you'd have plenty of time to catch anything that's out of JFK after 6."

Frank straightened, "I don't think Melanie wants to subjugate herself to all of that."

"I don't?" She raised her eyebrows, "Since when do you know what I want to do?"

He rolled his eyes, "Melanie…"

"Are you afraid of me meeting your family?" She cut him off.

"What?" Frank blinked, "I didn't say…No….I just meant…"

Linda raised her eyebrows smirking at the inarticulate stammering.

Melanie bit the inside of her lip and considered Linda for a beat, "I suppose thanks to your husband my presence wouldn't be too much of a surprise to the rest of the family?"

Linda's smirk turned into an encouraging smile and she stepped forward, "It will be fine. Seriously."

Melanie leaned back against the counter, sipping her coffee, eyes landing back on Frank. He stared blankly back and her eyes narrowed. He gave a miniscule shrug.

After a protracted silence, she put the mug down and smiled broadly at Linda.

Frank exhaled, "Okay. Well. Then. Okay…."

* * *

"120 seconds to change your mind about this." Frank announced as he entered the kitchen, pulling off his jacket.

Melanie looked up from where she had been writing at the table. "100 seconds for you to honestly tell me you're uncomfortable with this."

"Would it change anything if I were?" He countered.

She shut her laptop and stood, "Not likely." She smiled, approaching him and reaching up to stroke the side of his face.

He grimaced in resignation, though his eyes were warm as they stood toe to toe.

The front door opened and the thumping sounds of children's feet careened through the hall. Frank stiffened and took a step back, "Here we go." He muttered.

"What'd your mother tell you about running in the house?" Danny shouted from the front entrance.

"We want to ask Grandpa if we can watch the game!" Jack shouted back.

"Go ahead." Frank gestured to the sunroom and the boys stampeded through, not stopping to notice the stranger in the kitchen.

Melanie raised an eyebrow and he just shrugged, checking his watch then opening the fridge to pull out a bottle of beer.

"Sorry about that, Dad..." Danny stopped mid-stride, immediately registering that they weren't alone in the room.

" _This_ is what had Linda all buzzy and texting Erin this morning." He mumbled mostly to himself.

"Buzzy? What do you mean buzzy?" Linda brushed past, moving to inspect the contents of her crockpot, "I'm just excited to have a guest at dinner."

"Uh-huh." Danny glanced to his father, gesturing with his hand as he pieced together the events leading up to the moment, "Pops had that thing down the shore last night, right?"

"Danny…" Frank warned.

"Understood, Sir." He held up a hand and looked to Melanie, taking in a deep breath, "Nice to see you again Ms. Maines."

"You too, Detective." She smiled tightly.

Danny lips firmed into a grimacing grin and he nodded, standing in the center of the kitchen for a beat, rocking on his feet and looking between his father and his guest.

"Okay, so I'm going to need one of those…" He pointed to the beer in his father's hand.

Frank stepped away from where he had been leaning against the refrigerator door and Danny retrieved a dark bottle, twisting off the top. He gestured to the sun room, "And I think I'll go watch the game with the boys."

The back-porch door banged open as Danny was leaving the room,

"I don't get what the rush is." Henry grouched.

"I'm not rushing, Grandpa." Erin defended, entering the kitchen and pausing in the doorway, scanning the room. Her eyes immediately located the non-Reagan, her broad smile speaking to her anticipation.

Henry came in behind her, pausing and taking note of the guest with a purse of his lips, "Aha."

He glanced to his son, "Mhrm." He huffed with a shake of his head, a knowing smile pulling up for a beat before he turned back to Melanie with his most charismatic smile, "Ms. Maines, what a pleasant surprise."

Whatever tension she had used to brace herself relaxed in the face of the older man's charm, "You must be Henry."

She extended a hand and if possible his grin grew wider, "I am." He glanced to Frank, "But don't believe anything you may have heard about me."

"Nothing but good things." She assured.

"Mhrm…" Henry snorted.

Erin stepped forward, hand extended to catch a shake as soon as Henry stepped back, "I'm Erin."

"Of course." Melanie nodded, "Nice to meet you." She looked over Erin's shoulder, "And you must be Nicky?"

Nicky looked up, head tilted, eyes narrowed, "Aren't you a reporter?"

Melanie nodded, "I am."

Nicky looked up to her grandfather whose eyes were focused on his beer bottle. She looked back to Melanie, "You're joining us for dinner?"

"She is." Frank confirmed, pressuring the inside of his cheek.

Nicky frowned back at him, "I thought you hate reporters."

"Is that so, Commissioner?" Melanie bit her lips, unsuccessfully trying to smother her amusement.

"I don't hate _all_ reporters." He tried, "Ms. Maines isn't local."

"Right." Linda interrupted, grabbing a bag from Erin and pressing a bowl of lettuce and salad tongs into her hands, "She's a friend of your Grandfather's and I invited her to stay for dinner since she's in town."

"That makes more sense." Henry nodded, pulling out a basket and a loaf of Italian bread.

"What's that mean?" Frank looked up.

Henry tilted his head, "It means, if left to your own devices, it's not likely Ms. Maines would be joining us this afternoon... _Or ever_."

Frank huffed and took a sip of his drink.

"Did you offer the lady something or you just going to leave our guest fend for herself?" Henry reprimanded.

"I've got wine." Erin interrupted. "Melanie; white or red?"

* * *

By the time dinner was on the table the three ladies and Henry had finished the first bottle of wine and the anecdotes and laughter were pumping from the kitchen.

"Dinner's being served!" Erin leaned into the sun room, pulling the attention of the rest her family who had escaped to celebrate* over the Yankees / Sox game.

"Where's Uncle Jamie?" Sean asked following his father in to the dining room.

"And who's that?" Jack asked pointing to Melanie who was still sharing a laugh with Linda.

"He's on his way." Danny assured Sean, "And this is Melanie."

"She's going to sit there?" Nicky asked, watching Erin put a new chair between herself and Frank.

"Melanie?" Jack repeated.

"Of course." Erin shrugged.

"Is that the lady Mom was talking about in the car?" Sean looked up to his father.

"Don't worry about it." Danny patted his son on the head, "Sit down." He stepped around his youngest and took his seat.

Melanie blinked at the cross chatter. Frank tilted his head, watching her.

She pulled on a smile and waived at Jack and Sean, "Hi boys." She hesitated behind the chair and turned her attention to Nicky, "I'm sorry, did you want to sit here instead?"

"No." Nicky shook her head, "I was just surprised."

"And why is that?" Melanie asked, sitting down.

Nicky shrugged, "Gramma used to sit between Mom and Grampa."

Melanie's mouth opened and the rest of the table looked down at their plates, shifting awkwardly.

"Hey! Sorry I'm late." Jamie announced entering from the front door and tossing his jacket aside. "Would have been here a while ago but made a felony collar 20 minute before the end of tour. Vinny's _still_ finishing the paperwork."

He dropped into his chair, not noticing everyone's attention on him.

He unfolded his napkin on his lap and looked at his niece, "Nick, can you move over a little?"

"No can do, Uncle Jamie." She looked at him pointedly.

He frowned for a beat, looking around her and finally noticing there was a 4th chair on their side of the table, "Oh, Hi, I'm sorry…" he leaned forward and then pulled back, "You're Melanie Maines!" He blinked stupidly.

"And you must be the Harvard grad." She smiled back.

The previous tension broke and the family chucked.

Jamie shook his head, "I'm sorry, it's just I'm used to seeing you on the TV on every Friday night, didn't expect you at the dinner table."

"You're on TV?" Sean sat up.

Melanie didn't reply to him as she pinned Frank with a look, " _Every_ Friday night?"

He rolled his eyes, " _Some_. Not every."

"Every Friday night I've come by." Jamie corrected.

"Me too." Contributed Erin with a smirk.

"Come to think of it," Henry's eyes were dancing as he painted his son into a corner, "Any Friday you've been home before 9, CNN's been on the television."

Frank rolled his eyes.

Jamie shook his head, smiling, "It's a great to meet you, I've been a fan ever since you did that story on Bear Sterns." He looked to his father with incredulity, "Dad, all those Fridays I came over after Syd and I broke up and you _never_ mentioned you knew Melanie Maines?!"

" _Gawd, Kid, just let it drop_ …" Dannie pleaded under his breath, pinching at his eyes with his thumb and forefinger.

Melanie didn't hear Danny, she tilted her head, grin growing, "Yeah Frank, you never mentioned?"

He shifted in his seat, mouth opening then closing.

"It's okay." Melanie straightened, releasing him from their teasing. She pat his hand, "It's actually kind of sweet that you watch and manage to refrain from sending me an argumentative email every week."

Jamie and Nicky's eyes both zeroed in on Melanie's hand movement and their brows furrowed in an identical manner, Jamie's head tilting, " _So_ ….Melanie, you never did say what brought you by today and _how_ you know my Dad?"

Frank glared at his youngest and Danny made an exaggerated cough into his hand, "Alright! Who's saying grace?"

"I think it's probably your turn Francis." Henry grinned from across the table.

Frank redirected his glare from his son to his father and the two shared a silent exchange.

"Alright." Frank finally relented, still glaring at the other end of the table as he put his hands together in front of him.

Melanie looked around the room and quickly mimicked the motion.

"Bless us, oh Lord for these gifts we are about to receive from thy bounty, Amen."

"Amen." The table echoed, "…Amen" Melanie a beat late.

"Moooom…" Sean picked up a piece of asparagus with his hands, "Melanie didn't cross herself."

"Shush." Linda quieted her son. "Here. Eat your chicken." She dropped some cut pieces on his plate.

For a little while the table was focused on the business of passing plates and filling glasses.

"How's Detective Curatola?" Melanie tried to engage Danny who had yet to make eye contact with her.

Danny winced, "Uh, actually Jack took a leave of absence last fall."

Linda gave her husband a glance and silently covered his hand with hers, giving it a squeeze.

He flipped his hand over and returned the grip, "But she's doing well last I talked to her. She moved in with some friends in Jersey and has been doing a few different jobs looking for the right fit."

"Oh, well, I hope she lands on her feet." Melanie nodded.

"Me too." Danny looked at his plate, stabbing the asparagus with unnecessary force.

Jamie frowned, "Wait…How do you know Jackie too?"

Melanie smiled, "Your brother and his partner worked the case last year when my producer hired someone to attempt to assault me with acid."

Jamie frowned, "How'd you end up picking up an attempted assault case, Danny?"

"It was a _special request_ …" Erin smirked around a bite of food, ignoring her father's glare.

"From the _Commissioner_ …." Henry smiled.

"Wait…" Jamie leaned forward, looking around Nicky, at his sister, " _You_ knew about this? For more than a _year_?"

She shrugged, "If you had used that fancy law degree to become a prosecutor instead of a cop maybe it would have been you Danny went to for a warrant."

Jamie's shoulders stooped, "Am I the only one who didn't know?"

"Didn't know what?" Jack looked up, his glasses falling down his nose.

Nicky huffed, "Not the only one, but apparently not by much" She tossed her napkin on her plate. "I'd like to be excused."

"What's wrong, Nick?" Frank frowned at his granddaughter.

She didn't reply, just glared back at him as she stood from the table, not waiting for permission before she turned and stalked into the kitchen.

Erin winced.

"I'm sorry…" Jamie frowned, "I shouldn't have kept asking questions. I'll go talk to her."

"Wasn't your fault." Frank sighed, pulling his own napkin off his lap, "I'll talk to her."

Jamie blinked, then shrugged, "Yeah, it's not like I have any clue what's going on anyway."

Frank smiled and bounced his eyebrows at Melanie as he stood, "Good luck while I'm gone."

"Stop your worrying Frank," She smirked, "I've dealt with scarier groups than this."

"Boy, you _really_ don't know this family then…" Jamie joked as Frank followed Nicky's path to the kitchen.

The 16-year-old was washing her dish at the sink, her back turned.

Frank buried his hands in his pockets and pursed his lips. "What's bothering you, Nicky?"

Nicky wiped at her eyes but didn't turn around, "Are you dating her?"

"What?" Frank's eyebrows rose.

Nicky turned around, revealing red eyes and damp cheeks, "I _said;_ Are. You. Dating. Her?"

Frank frowned and took a few steps forward, coming to a halt at the edge of the island, "Would that be a problem if I were?"

Nicky rolled her eyes and turned back to the sink.

"Nicky..." Frank pushed, "We don't do this. Talk to me. Answer my question."

She shook her head, turning back around, "How could it _not_ be?"

"Not be what? A problem?" Frank didn't move.

Nicky looked down at the embroidered dish cloth in her hand, "What about Gramma?"

Frank took a deep breath and exhaled slowly through his nose. He rolled his lips and looked over his granddaughter before his eyes also landed on the embroidery. He took a step and sat on one of the kitchen stools.

"You know I loved your Grandmother; still do." He took the towel from Nicky's hands, his thumb rubbing the hand stitching, "It's been 7 years, 6 months and 8 days since she died and not a day goes by that I don't miss her."

He put the towel down on the counter, patting it with his hand for a moment before he looked back to Nicky, "And no one is ever going to replace her. I'm never going to fall in love like that again." He bit his lip, "But sometimes it's nice to have a friend. I'd like to think your grandmother wouldn't want me to be lonely."

Nicky looked him in the eye, her stance softening, "You're not lonely. You have us."

"I do." He nodded, then shrugged, "But there are somethings I'm not going to talk to my granddaughter about, nor my children or even your great-grandfather."

Nicky frowned.

He looked away, "Sometimes…" He pursed his lips and looked back to Nicky, "Sometimes it's nice to just be 'Frank'. Not 'Dad', or 'Grampa', or 'Francis' or 'Commissioner'."

He frowned at the hurt in Nicky's eyes and he sighed, "Not all the time. Not even very often…but your Grandmother was my partner and my friend and since she's been gone I've missed that." He looked down, "We're all human. Even me. Wanting to have that kind of connection with someone doesn't mean I miss your Grandmother any less."

"And you have that connection with _her_?" Nicky looked back in the direction of the dining room.

Frank inhaled, nodded and shrugged, "We're friends."

"Just something simple…?" Nicky surmised in a quiet voice.

"Something like that." Frank nodded, "But for the record, we are not dating."

Nicky looked up, "Why not? I thought you liked her."

He smiled, "I do. But she lives in Atlanta and we both work far too much to be anything more than friends who exchange emails and see each other when she happens to be in the city."

Nicky nodded slowly, "Is there anyone who lives closer who you can be friends with?"

"Don't you be worrying about that." Frank shook off her question.

"I want you to be happy…" Nicky looked down, pulling at her fingers.

Frank smiled and leaned forward, pulling her against him, "I am sweat heart; I promise you I am."

Nicky fidgeted for a second before looking down, hesitation in her voice. "Why does Ms. Maines make Uncle Danny so uncomfortable?"

Frank's mustache fluttered as he released a long exhale. "That's just your Uncle Danny proving his immaturity." He pushed back and started to stand, "What'd you say we head back?"

Nicky held her ground, head tilted, "Why is Uncle Danny being immature?"

Frank sighed, "Because boys never grow up. C'mon, let's go."

"But he met her last year, right?" Nicky continued, pouting, "Does he not like her or something?"

Frank rolled his eyes and pursed his lips, "Nick, remember that bit about somethings I'm not likely to talk to my granddaughter about?"

Nicky blinked and frowned, "What? Why not? You said you're not dating…"

Frank winced.

Nicky blinked again and then her eyes widened, "Oh." her face shriveled and crinkled sourly, "Oh...", she repeated herself, turning her face away.

Frank tilted his head, waiting, "You okay?"

She grimaced, "I think you're right;" She nodded, "There are somethings we don't need to talk about."

"Sounds good." He agreed with a wide smile, grabbing a new plate from the shelf. "Now, let's go eat before your cousins get all the garlic bread."

Nicky nodded, letting Frank guide her back.

* * *

Melanie was telling Sean and Jack about what television studios were like when Frank and Nicky returned to the table and the rest of the dinner progressed smoothly.

As an investigative reporter, Melanie could hold her own in topics from healthcare, to the law, to the armed forces so the conversation was full and insightful as it circled around everyone at the table.

Eventually, after the coffee had been finished and dessert cookies enjoyed, Melanie looked at her watch and Frank nodded in understanding. He called a cab as she said her good-byes and thanks to the rest of the family.

"I'll walk you out." He offered.

"Always the gentleman." She smirked, following his gesture out the door and down to the driveway.

Hovering by the curb he shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked on his feet as she looked up at him.

He sighed wistfully and looked to his toes, "This isn't what you want."

She shook her head, "Not now…" She agreed. She frowned and moved to look him in the eye, "But it's not bad."

He picked up his chin, eyes tracing her face, "It didn't diminish anything for you?"

She pulled back, brow furrowing, "What _on earth_ are you talking about?"

Frank shrugged, his hands still in his pockets, "To you I've always been the Police Commissioner; a relatively powerful public figure at who attends Manhattan dinner parties and spends the evening in fancy Mid-Town hotels." He looked to the house, "Not this domestic, homebody, Bayridge grandfather in a cardigan."

Melanie's smiled widened and she rolled her eyes, "First of all, you are still the powerful, New York City Police Commissioner. Not sure what makes you think you ever shut that off."

He huffed, "And second of all?"

"Second," Her smile darkened, and she leaned in wolfishly, "You are the sexiest Grandfather I know…even with your cardigan." She tugged on the edge of the wool sweater.

Frank cleared his throat, dimples deepening and blush rising.

Melanie continued to lean close, hand on his chest, "To be honest, I'm glad I saw this side of you." She shrugged, "I have to admit, I've wondered about 'Frank, The Patriarch.'"

He rolled his eyes and she looked over his shoulder in the direction of the house, "What you have here; this family that's in everyone's business and talks over one another and is simultaneously wary and welcoming of newcomers…that eats together and prays together and laughs together…" She sighed, "I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did."

She looked back to him, "Because I did. I really did, Frank."

She sighed and stepped back, reaching down for his hands, "So no. It's not what I ever thought I wanted. And it's not what I want right now." She pursed her lips, inhaling, "But there's a part of me that's jealous, maybe even regretful that it's not what I have."

She sighed, "Someday, when I'm tired of bad airline food and hotel mattresses and chasing stories that don't want to be chased…maybe I can see myself wanting something like this."

Frank looked her over, waiting a beat, "I certainly won't discourage you."

She looked up with a tilt of her head, "In the meantime, I can continue to call on the Commissioner when I'm in town?"

"I'd hope you would." He smirked, tightening his hold on her hands.

"And you won't read too much into it if I don't come to Sunday dinner every time?" She winced.

"No pressure, no regrets." He echoed the boundaries they had set for themselves with an understanding smile.

She frowned, eyes flicking over his face, "Maybe _some_ regrets."

"No regrets." He repeated. "You love the life you have." He smiled, "It's one of the reasons why I like you."

She sighed and smiled at him, a fond shake of her head, her attention pulled by the approaching taxi.

"But…" He rolled his shoulders back, ignoring the arrival of the car, "The invitation is always open. Any Sunday. There's always room at the table."

She blinked and stood on her toes to plant a kiss on the side of his lips. He moved, deepening it for a moment.

Pulling back he grinned, a spark in his eye, "Alright; Keep chasing those unchasable stories. You'll always know where to find me; I'm not going anywhere."

Melanie's smile faltered and she reached up, wiping away a smudge of her lipstick. Her hand lingered and trailed down to tug lightly at his collar and then lay flat over his heart. "Frank Reagan." She sighed with a shake of her head.

She bit her lip and smiled up to him, "Tell the family next time I'm in town I'll bring the wine and dessert."

* * *

 **AN2** \- * - Theeeeeeee Yaaaankkkkkeeeeessssss Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiin! Right, Terry? Mwahahahahahahaha


	8. Silence (Baez 2)

Set between Season 7 & 8, spoilers for Season 8 if you haven't started that.

* * *

Maria had been to the PCs house many times by now, each time always brought a sense of unease in her stomach for a second, not unlike when you saw the principal walking down the hallway at school. Her close bond with her partner, as with so many productive partnerships on the force, meant that she was a sometime visitor to his family life, both at Danny's house and a much more occasional visit to Bay Ridge.

However the knot in Maria Baez's stomach was tighter than normal as she drove to where she knew she needed to be this Sunday, even if for five minutes.

Pulling up to the curb, she recognized most of the vehicles parked outside the brick house, but there were a few that she didn't immediately recognize. Putting her car in park, Maria exhaled slowly, seeking to curb the adrenaline and nerves she was feeling.

She wondered

how she had gotten to the door so quickly when she realized her mind had wondered during the walk, reality only catching up to her when the catch on the frame clicked, the heavy wooden door opening up to reveal the large frame and stooped shoulders of the PC himself, his eyes red rimmed and eyebrows seeming to be laying upon the eyes below them, the normally larger than life man seeming to be more human than Maria could ever think she could imagine him, and looking tired.

He looked down towards Maria, his tired eyes showing his thoughts, before pursing his mouth, the mustache above swallowing it whole before he nodded slowly, opening the door to let her in.

Now that she was here, she realized she didn't know what to say, instead cautiously placing a hand on his arm. Again, his red rimmed eyes betrayed him, closing quickly before moving about to avoid eye contact, before gesturing towards the kitchen before turning his body towards the living room, where Maria saw several of the other Reagans sitting together quietly. The house was eerily quiet as she walked towards the kitchen, her heels seeming to make too much noise on the wood floor as she walked.

Maria paused as she caught sight of a family picture of her partner, Danny and Linda each with a son in a proud hug outside their house. Judging by the boys age in the photo, it was about two years old. Closing her own eyes, Maria willed the tears threatening in her eyes to well back. Softly swinging open the door, the kitchen was softly lit with the sunlight from the sunny day outside, casting a dark shadow over the side of Danny's face that Maria saw first. He was sitting by himself in the kitchen, an open but barely touched beer sitting in front of him, staring out the window.

Maria opened the fridge, taking out a beer for her self, buried behind the casserole dishes and deli plates that were stacked inside. The kitchen itself had more casserole dishes in the sink, plates and trays of cookies and pies on the counter. Pulling out the chair next to Danny, Maria sat down, now seeing what Danny had been looking at: his boys and Nicky sitting outside together quietly, all engrossed on their phone.

Maria turned away from that view to check on her partner. Like his father, he was eerily still. Danny was usually full of energy and an unstoppable drive, but today he was motionless, watching every movement of his children with red rimmed eyes, the third day stubble less managed than normal, his suit from the funeral still on. She turned back to stare out into the backyard alongside her partner in a quiet companionship.

* * *

 **AN** \- It's short and quick, but I had that final image in my head and I wanted to get it out. Still stunned by this turn.


End file.
